A Countryside Sojourn
by Book of Doom
Summary: If the Rikkai were a pirate ship and Captain Yukimura was still sick because even in AUs some things never change, then of course his crew would have to visit him in the countryside where he was recovering... [Side story to ARR! but reads on its own too]
1. Letters from Sanada

**Title: **A Countryside Sojourn  
**Author(s): **Red & Blue  
**Summary: **In which Sanada only proves to show that he's a total and complete dork.  
**Authors' notes: **Red had to write all the letters because Blue can't wrap her head around Sanada's supreme dorkiness. The fic was originally one long piece but we decided it'd work best to split it up into more bite-sized chapters.

**Chapter 1: Letters from Sanada**

Yukimura, how are you?

Because we didn't want to let you down, our profits have gone up by 50 percent. However, Yanagi says we've been working too hard these days and he recommends that the crew take a break before we burn out. _Rikkai_ will be grounded for the next month or so, at one of those ports where Yanagi has some property.

* * *

Yukimura, how are you?

Life is rather different on land. For one, the crew gets into trouble a lot more frequently here in Port Gray. Every tavern has orders to turn Marui away if they see him, and it's only been three days. Fortunately, we're rooming at Yanagi's place so I can take heart that he, Niou and Akaya will not burn our accommodations down.

Speaking of Akaya, he told me that he ran into some _Seigaku_ pirates in town. I am ordering everyone to steer clear of them – we don't need any more chaos as it is.

* * *

Yukimura, how are you?

Yes, Yukimura. I will attempt to – how did you put it – "lighten up". It is not easy, but rest assured of my greatest efforts. The relaxed pace of life on land is slowly, but surely, getting to me.

I got a new hat today. Niou says it makes me look dashing, but because Niou said so, I'm inclined not to believe it. I will be exchanging it for another hat tomorrow.

* * *

Yukimura, how are you?

Akaya fell asleep on a carriage yesterday afternoon. I had to claim him from jail – apparently he attacked the driver when he woke up. Yukimura, how do you keep him under control? I don't want to hit him.

* * *

Yukimura, how are you?

It's really warm at this time of the year. Yanagi asked me to accompany him out to the fields to capture cicadas because he finds them annoying. We caught 43 of them in one hour.

Yukimura, seeing the rolling green fields made me think of you recuperating at the farm. Do you see many sheep everyday? The animals must be your only company over there, since you refuse to speak your caretakers for taking you way from your ship.

The crew and I really want to visit you.

* * *

Yukimura, how are you?

As you read this, we should be on our way to Brockstead Farm. It's been most tedious preparing the crew the crew for a long overland trip. Other than the complications of arranging transportation, packing has been… difficult. Yanagi is packing enough to put a woman to shame, while Marui refuses to bring anything other than the clothes on his back.

For _Rikkai_'s sake, do return to the seas as soon as possible.

I would write more, but Marui is trying to pack Akaya into a crate.

* * *

"Marui, stop prancing around in front of the horse."

The red-haired pirate stuck his tongue out and continued eating honey from a jar, walking by the horses' sides. Jackal sighed in relief and focused on the road ahead once more. They were on the last leg of their journey to Yukimura's farm. All their belongings were piled on the back of a horse-drawn cart – and on top of their belongings was piled Kirihara.

"Jackal, wake Akaya up. That's the farmhouse ahead."

To say that Sanada had been bipolar of the whole trip over land hardly did his behavior justice. Then again, the crew understood. More than anyone else, Sanada had felt the absence of their captain. Faced with the prospect of meeting him again, he was clearly torn between gladness at their reunion and fear at seeing how badly the illness might have ravaged the man they all respected. Jackal reached back and poked the baby of their crew awake with the horse whip.

"Everyone, welcome to Brockstead farm."

"Yukimura-san!"

"Senchou!"

Sanada's face broke into his first true smile in a long while. The man standing at the low wooden fate was pale, true, and seemed a little thin but the colour in his cheeks was good and his eyes danced with life and pleasure.

"Yukimura."

"Sanada, I see you managed to get this lot safely thus far. Despite all… difficulties."

He bowed his head. "It's good to see you."

The faint smile on Yukimura's face grew wider. "Come on in. I'm sure that everyone's presence will make this place livelier… Much to the horror of my caretakers."

**End of Chapter 1**


	2. Beast, Interrupted

**Title: **A Countryside Sojourn  
**Author(s): **Red & Blue  
**Summary: **In which Sanada and Yukimura are interrupted by two troublemakers and a really big animal.  
**Authors' notes (Red): **Yukimura/Sanada stuff ahead. Well, it can be also taken the other way, but I think that Yukimura is one _scary_ person. The manga's slowly showing us more of him, and it's not pretty. Anyway, this chapter was great fun to write – hope you guys enjoy it! If you haven't, do also check out the main story "Arr!" which should be updated within the week.

**Chapter 2: Beast, Interrupted**

"Lively" was the understatement of the year. Within hours of the arrival of _Rikkai_'s core crew, the peaceful, idyllic life of Brockstead Farm was severely disrupted. The chickens in the yard didn't seem too fond of Yagyuu – they attacked him the moment he stepped in. Niou couldn't resist taunting him; rarely would _Rikkai_'s gentleman appear so ruffled. In the end, both of them left the yard covered in feathers.

Yukimura's nurse looked frazzled. Yukimura looked amused.

The captain was delighted to be standing next to his deputy as he directed the movement of baggage. This was a man full of vitality; sickness might have attempted to sap his life from him, but Yukimura loved the sea, and he loved his crew. Nothing short of death would ever stop him.

Yukimura felt someone tug on his sleeve. "Yes, Akaya?"

"Senchou!" He was engulfed in a giant hug.

"I missed you too," said Yukimura laughingly.

"But Sanada is hogging you." Kirihara pouted. "The rest of us want to spend some time with our captain as well."

"Hm, so he is. Nevertheless, there are some things I would like to speak to him about. Why don't you wander around outside for a bit? This place is quite beautiful."

Kirihara saluted, knowing twinkle in his eye. "Aye, captain!" He scampered outside. Once the only thing above him was air and sunshine, however, Kirihara slowed down, absorbing the scenery around him. There were acres of green as far as the eye could see – so many places to explore!

A gleaming thread of silver in the far distance caught his attention. A river, perhaps? He set off at a light jog in the general direction of the shiny object. On the way, he passed the occasional grazing cow, swishing its tail while staring vapidly into nothing. Other than the flicking tails and steadily chewing jaws, the bovines were still, not even with calves seeing as it was the wrong time of the year. Unbidden, Niou's vivid descriptions of 'cow tipping' leapt to mind.

Kirihara knew he ought not to. It was the middle of the day (Niou had recommended the dead of the night) and he was a guest at this farm which was Yukimura-senchou's recuperating place. And then he saw it.

It was huge, a massive member of the species and black as the midnight sky. It also appeared to be dozing, its tail barely even flicking to chase away the flies. It was _perfect_. Kirihara turned back to the farmhouse; if he was going to do this, better to have help from the master.

"So that's it?"

"Do you see any other huge black cows around?" Kirihara snapped irritably at the trickster. Niou had insisted they taker the last ten yards at a crawl and Kirihara had already put his hand down on two cow pats.

"Point taken. Okay, let's go."

"What? Isn't this close enough?"

"Look, if you want to tip something that big, you're going to have to give it a real big scare. Ergo, we need to go closer. Savvy?"

"It's got horns. And it's really big!"

"You are such a lily-livered landlubber. Fine, I'll do it alone. Watch and learn, Akaya-chan." Kirihara would have protested but there was something morbidly fascinating about watching his senpai crawl on his belly through the grass, towards the behemoth. It was so absorbing that Kirihara didn't notice the cow ambling behind him until it exhaled loudly and wetly down the back of his neck. It gave him quite a scare.

Niou was getting close. He was so near that he could smell the beast though the scent of sunned grass and maybe even touch the massive flank if he reached out his hand. Grinning, the trickster filled his lungs and—

"YEAARRGH! DON'T EAT ME!!"

Niou jumped at the very loud sound of Kirihara's terrorized scream. The beast in front of him did too but it didn't fall over. Instead, it turned to the human crouched in the grass behind it with blood-shot eyes and snorted. It was about then Niou realized that this "cow" had no udders and was not in fact, strictly speaking, a cow at all…

* * *

Sanada wiped his brow. "Well, that's over and done with."

Drops of sweat still glistened on the tanned skin of Sanada's neck. Yukimura tried not to stare too hard at it. "It's rather hot in here. Would you like to get some tea? Its cooling effect might be helpful."

"Of course."

Yukimura led Sanada to the verandah, where they could enjoy the breeze in spite of the sweltering summer heat. "Make yourself comfortable," he said. "I'll go get the tea powder and the tea set."

"Can you manage?" asked Sanada worriedly.

"Don't make a fuss about it." Yukimura scowled. "You sound like the nurse."

"I apologise."

"Never mind." The frail-looking man left.

_He's not happy about being treated like a patient_, Sanada realized. _He wants to be up and about, doing something, anything that matters._

_I need to make it up to him for trying to take his place at _Rikkai_. But Yukimura doesn't want a whole strong of terrorized merchant ships. He wants…_

"You seem to be deep in thought, Sanada." Gentle, playful Yukimura was back, arranging the tea things at a table cheerfully. "Anything you would like to tell me?"

"…is that green tea?"

The upturned corners of Yukimura's mouth flattened slightly. "From the time we visited the Orient."

Sensing the shift in mood, Sanada hurriedly steered the conversation in another direction. "It's a pity we can only do a pale imitation of the tea houses over there. No sweets, no proper equipment…"

Yukimura brightened. "At the very least, why don't we try to recreate the atmosphere? Reveling in the simplicity of our surroundings, appreciating art and the finer things in life…"

_Such as you_. The tea ceremony they were attempting to mimic was a very sensual ritual and they couldn't help but become hyper-aware of one another. Touch wasn't even necessary, but if their hands just so happened to come into contact while reaching for the tea bowl…

"HELP! OH MY GOD, HELP!"

The moment was spoilt and both Yukimura and Sanada looked up, slightly alarmed and both concerned.

"That sounded like Akaya."

"Damn that boy," Sanada growled, gruff tone contrasting with his swift movements fuelled by worry as he hurried off the verandah. He and Yukimura stepped into the afternoon sun just in time to see Kirihara make a fantastic leap over the fence surrounding the farmyard. Then they took a look behind him and saw his motivation.

Niou didn't scream as he ran. Kirihara had a head start and could maybe spare the breath but he had the bull hot on his heels and decided screaming in terror was a luxury he couldn't afford to indulge in. Kirihara had just gotten up from clearing the fence when Niou tripped. The white-haired pirate went sprawling into the grass just inches from the fence and knew he'd never get up in time. He screwed his eyes tightly shut and wished he could have died doing something more memorable like pranking Atobe – or even first-mate Sanada would have done, really.

Then a pair of hands grabbed him by each wrist and he found himself slithering forward on his belly through the grass at great speed. There was a loud thud followed by an angry snort and Niou decided to stay where he was and enjoy the miraculous lack of sensation of being trampled.

"Niou, are you alright?'

Maybe he wasn't dead… but why would St. Peter sound like Yukimura-senchou? Or why would it even be a saint welcoming him? What with his being a pirate and all…

"I think he's in shock."

Sanada-san? That settled it, he'd been sent down there instead.

"Is he okay? Is he dead?"

Dead… oh right, he wasn't dead. Niou marshalled his thoughts and cracked an eye open. Yukimura, Sanada and Kirihara looked down on him, worried, grumpy and terrified respectively.

"Niou, how do you feel?"

He was alive, the great behemoth that had chased him thwarted of its prey and displeased about it. Kirihara was scared witless, Sanada looked irked and Yukimura-senchou was fussing over him Niou grinned widely.

"Never better!"

"Well..." Yukimura glanced at the fence, where the bull was pacing about. The wooden stakes where in a terrible state. "I think you should compensate for the collateral damage."

"Chores," declared Sanada.

**End of Chapter 2**


	3. The Simple Life

**Title: **A Countryside Sojourn  
**Author(s): **Red & Blue  
**Summary: **In which Marui gets lost and Kirihara loves chickens.  
**Word count:** 1426  
**Authors' notes (Blue):** More fun. :D Rikkai is so fun to mess with.

**Chapter 3: The Simple Life**

"This sucks."

"Aye."

Marui blew a raspberry. "Whose idea was it to include the whole crew in this?"

"Sanada," chorused Kirihara, Niou, Yagyuu and Jackal.

"He said that it would build team spirit," added Niou.

"Why does Yanagi-senpai get to stay indoors?"

"Because Yukimura-senchou uses him to terrorize this nurse."

"Ah," said Kirihara intelligently. "So what exactly are we doing?"

It was quickly decided that Marui and Yagyuu would go out into the corn fields, while Jackal and Niou would work with the livestock.

"So I'm in the yard with the chickens.," concluded Kirihara.

"Aye," said Yagyuu feelingly.

Marui fidgeted. "Let's get moving. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we get to eat."

"Bunta, you're salivating."

"Farm food's good, Jackal. What did you expect?" Marui called back as he ran on ahead of Yagyuu into the sea of green and yellow stalks of corn. Perhaps he should have waited for the bespectacled man, because green and yellow was all that he could see after a while.

_Okay. I'm a genius. I can get out of this frickin' maze._ The pirate prodded at particularly leafy corn stalk_. I can't remember what we're supposed to do here anyway – was it to look for the other farm workers? Or to clear some weeds? I'm a pirate, dammit, not a farmer._

He made a vicious cut on the corn stalk with the dagger he always kept with him and walked on. "Yagyuu, Yagyuu! Wherefore art thou Yagyuu?"

No response.

Marui huffed. _Fine, I don't need him anyway._

Unfortunately, several hours later found him still surrounded by green and leafy growing things that weren't even any good to eat.

"Yagyuu? Where are ye? It's me, Bunta!" he called with ever less conviction and a growing sense of despair. It felt like he'd been walking in circles for years; he was hungry, thirsty and tired. The pink-haired pirate had tried cutting himself a path earlier but the growth was so think he realized he'd have to kill a ridiculous number of plants to make even the tiniest of clearings and he doubted Yukimura would appreciate that. Still, chopping down a few plants had been most cathartic – but even that feeling had faded as the day wore on and the hot sun beat down from above.

Marui was just considering sitting down for a break when he spied something… checkered? Checkered anythings weren't corn! Which could only mean people! With a shout of "Uzzah", the pirate crashed through the corn in the general direction of his sighting. Finally, he burst into a small clearing occupied by a lone figure in a torn checkered shit and worn dungarees. It was a scarecrow.

Marui proceeded to have a hissy fit that would have put Atobe to shame. He swore so badly it would have made Akutsu from Yamabuki cringe. He struck at the scarecrow with a vindictiveness usually only seen in Mizuki of St. Rudolph. Finally, Marui slumped to the ground at the foot of the decapitated scarecrow muttering like Fudomine's Shinji. Which he was still doing when Yagyuu stumbled into the clearing.

"Marui!"

Marui glared up at the gentleman pirate skeptically and did not take the hand proffered.

"Are ye real?"

"Real? What in the seven seas are you talking about, Marui? Of course I'm real. Pray, what happened – Ack!"

Marui had launched himself at Yagyuu and was unabashedly dangling off the taller pirate's neck, cackling like a maniac and clinging to him like a limpet by turns. Yagyuu did the only sensible thing; he fell into a pile of botanic debris and for the second time in a day looked completely ruffled.

"Marui, get _off_! Niou will not approve!"

* * *

Niou did not approve of people becoming to close to Yagyuu. He also did not approve of chickens and cows.

"Do we really have to help out with the sheep?" complained Jackal. "It's shearing time."

"Must hit a little too close to home for you, eh?" Niou stared pointedly at Jackal's bare, shaven head.

Jackal consciously tried to cover up his lack of hair. "It's not really the same thing."

Niou decided to let it slide. After all, it would pay to be on Jackal's good side for this particular chore, given his lousy track record with livestock so far on Brockstead Farm. "So, what exactly does shearing sheep involve?"

Jackal's eyebrows knit together.

"I only have a vague idea," he said thoughtfully. "First, the sheep need their wool washed. They are herded through a disinfectant bath. It's only after that then the wool is actually sheared off."

Bleats could already be heard from the path where the two were walking on. A hard gleam entered Niou's eyes.

"Sounds like fun."

Fun for Niou, at least. The pirates managed to reach the bath area in time to see sheep struggling to get away from the bath. (If Niou were a sheep, he wouldn't want to hop into the disinfectant bath either – it was already murky from the other sheep that passed through it previously.) Their help was recruited in forcing a particularly stubborn ram inside, and the trickster shone. It wasn't long before the bulk of the sheep had relatively clean wool.

Next was the actual shearing.

Jackal settled into the task quite nicely – one had to wonder if he had experience in working on a farm before – but the other workers were starting to doubt their decision in handing Niou a pair of shears.

Shears were sharp and pointy.

It didn't take hours to realize that Niou and shears were a combination too horrifying to even contemplate. Niou was politely requested to stay away from the area and Jackal could only watch enviously as the silver-haired pirate skipped off in the direction of the farmhouse.

* * *

Kirihara gave a furtive glance towards the farmhouse as he bent over to scatter more grain for the chickens. Satisfied he was not under observation, he quickly scooped up a few chicks. Grinning at their happy chirps, he brushed his cheek against the handful of downy fuzz.

"Aww, aren't ye all a precious sight."

Niou's distinctive drawl made the young pirate jump and nearly drop the chicks. Hurriedly he placed them on the placed them on the ground with what the hoped was a manly scowl on his face.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that."

"I wasn't sneaking. And you know that pouting like that doesn't work on me." Irreverently the trickster reached out and ruffled his hair. Kirihara's scowl (read: pout) deepened in dismay.

"What are you doing here anyway? Don't you have chores to do?" To emphasize the point, Kirihara picked up his bucket and began spreading grain with renewed diligence.

"Do you really mind?" Kirihara squealed and nearly dropped his bucket as sinewy arms snaked around his waist, pulling him back against a taller body. "After all, I can help you with your… chores."

Something warm and wet began sucking at the tip of his ear, alternating with light nibbles as it made its way down to his earlobe…

"Niou-kun, shouldn't you stop distracting Akaya from his chores?"

The teeth, startled, bit down a little too hard at the interruption. Kirihara yelped and dropped the bucket of feed. There was a flurry of wings and squawks and the pair found themselves surrounded by frantically squabbling chickens over the spilt feed.

The scene was gravely regarded by Yagyuu while Marui proceeded to laugh himself silly as Kirihara squeaked and leapt a meter in the air before scrambling up Niou's lanky frame in a desperate attempt to escape the pecking poultry. Yagyuu briefly considered rescuing them, but remembering his earlier encounter with the chickens, he decided discretion was the better part of valour and kept his distance. It took a while but the chicken flock finally thinned enough for Niou, still carrying Kirihara, to step through it and make his way to the relative safety of Yagyuu's and Marui's vantage point by the fence.

"I think we are more or less done with our chores. Even if some of us haven't done much…" As he said that, Yagyuu glanced right at Marui.

"Hey."

Niou smirked. "Jackal's still with the sheep."

"Let's hang out around here for a while, then," suggested Kirihara. "I mean, we're supposed to work on the farm _together_. It would be weird if we all didn't come back at the same time."

"I want to check out the barns," announced Marui. "Akaya, wanna come along?"

"Sure. Then Yagyuu-senpai can help Niou-senpai relieve some tension. He's been troublesome lately…"

"G'away."

**End of Chapter 3**


	4. Needle in the haystack

**Title: **A Countryside Sojourn  
**Author(s): **Red & Blue  
**Summary:** In which Kirihara and Marui find something in the barn…  
**Word count: **990  
**Authors' notes:** More Rikkai madness. :D Why do we love them so?

**Chapter 4: Needle in the Haystack**

"I wonder what they store in the barns," said Marui, completely ignoring the scene they were leaving behind – the crew was fairly used to the hijinks that Niou and Yagyuu got up to, even if they startled most people.

Kirihara bounced a little. "Yanagi-senpai told me this story where they had a swing in the barn!"

"Please," Marui scoffed, "you already swing on the masts like a monkey."

"You balance on the sails."

"That's because I'm a genius."

"…we're here."

The duo peered into the dark barn.

"Smells like hay…"

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"HAY FIGHT!" Marui and Kirihara yelled in unison. They plunged right into the inviting bundles of hay.

Unfortunately, the hay proved most uncooperative in being aerodynamic. It didn't take long for the pirates' 'hay fight' to dissolve into an aimless scuffle. Eventually, panting and sneezing on hay, they decided on a truce.

"I," declared Marui, "am going to clean up." Between his adventure in the cornfields and his romp in the hay, he had achieved an impressive degree of dishevelment. Receiving only a grunt of affirmation from his kouhai, the red-headed pirate made to move to the water trough.

Kirihara rolled over heavily as Marui lift the hay with a satisfied grunt. He was tired and as tickly and scratchy as it was, the hay also made a decent bed. Apparently Kirihara wasn't the only one who though so…

"EYARGH!"

Kirihara's arm had touched something soft, warm, and definitely not hay. He was out of his 'bed' in a shot and clinging at a damp Marui.

"There'ssomethinginthehaythat'snothayandIthinkitwasbreathing."

Marui sighed and pried Kirihara off his arm, silently wondering again how this _baby_ could be a pirate aiming to be feared by all roaming the seven seas. He cleared the hay, receiving a shock when he did actually brush against flesh. Could it have been a dead body? Just what kind of farm was Yukimura-senchou resting at? But he could feel the pulsing of blood and life – a real person, most probably sleeping.

Plucking off more hay, he found that the person was a young man with curly blond hair. He had the feeling they'd met before…

The familiar youth yawned widely. "Ah, lemme sleep for a while more… I already found Fuji…"

"Oi, wake up."

"Hm?" The blonde rubbed his eyes and shook himself awake, sending hay flying everywhere. Blinking, he mumbled, "Where am I?"

"Brockstead Farm. Who are you?"

"Akutagawa Jirou…"

He'd heard that name before, when he was serving an apprenticeship. "Hey, I know you! We worked under the same master once!"

Big brown eyes gazed at him sleepily, and suddenly they sparked to life. "Oh! You're Marui Bunta! You're that awesome genius!"

Marui preened. Jirou made a grab for his object of admiration; however, Kirihara was in the way.

"Where is this guy from?"

Jirou scratched his head. "I'm part of Atobe Keigo's crew on the _Emperor of Ice_."

"A Hyoutei pirate!"

"Atobe-sama's the coolest guy ever! Well, except for Marui, who is like the epitome of all that is amazing."

Kirihara said thoughtfully, "If you're one of Atobe's people, what are you doing here? This farm is nowhere near Hyoutei." Large eyes narrowed suspiciously. "If you're here to hurt Yukimura-senchou…"

"Yukimura is here?" Jirou gave a wide toothy grin. "Excellent! I thought I would have to settle on telling his first mate!"

"Telling Sanada what?" Marui paused in his preening for a moment to inquire. Jirou's eye lit up and the next thing either of the two _Rikkai_ pirates knew, Marui was on his back on the dusty floor, a very happy Jirou latched to his stomach. "Hoi! Get off!"

"You're the best… ever… Marui-kun…" And then the narcoleptic pirate was snoring gently, using Marui Bunta as his full body pillow. Pinned by Jirou and left with only Kirihara to help, Marui did the most sensible thing.

"YUKIMURA-SENCHOU!"

* * *

"…so essentially Atobe wants all ships to go to Hyoutei."

"Yeah." Jirou yawned. "That's about it, He wouldn't tell me why, though."

Yukimura gave a shrewd grin. "Is _Seigaku_ amongst the ships you're visiting?"

"Mm-hmm. Found them last week at Port Gray… then followed you guys out here." Jirou began searching the recliner he was sitting on for pillows. Yukimura nodded to Sanada who handed him one. Within seconds Jirou was snoring softly. Not quite trusting him to be truly asleep, Yukimura led his first mate to the kitchen.

"Well?"

"Well what?" Sanada shifted his weight nervously; Yukimura had _that_ look in his eyes again. Which was really a very pretty effect but still kind of… scary.

"Aren't you going to say it? 'Don't go, Senchou. Atobe will understand, Senchou. You need to keep resting, Senchou.'" Bitterly Yukimura turned to the sink and started to wash the tea-pot sitting there. Sanada was a little lost for words.

"But you aren't fully healed yet."

"I know that."

"Seiichi…" Sanada tried not to use his greater size when interacting with Yukimura but he was glad of it now as he wrapped his arms around his captain's slim frame and tucked his bowed head under his chin. "Whatever you decide, the crew and I will support you."

Yukimura was silent for a long moment.

"We leave at dawn."

_Rikkai_'s ruthless captain had returned.

The mood hanging over the pirates the next morning was heavy. Yukimura was once again leading the pirates of _Rikkai_ and his style was dramatically different from Sanada's. With Sanada, one knew where the boundaries were, even if he seemed more intimidating than the gentle-looking Yukimura. The captain was almost an unknown factor – even 'The Master' Yanagi had a difficult time figuring him out. No one dared to joke around, especially since Yukimura looked particularly grim.

"It is a pity that we have to leave Brockstead Farm prematurely," remarked Yagyuu cautiously. "This place is a pleasant location for rest."

"The sea calls to us," said Yukimura, finality clear in his voice.

"To _Rikkai_!"

**The End… for now.**


End file.
